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Culture of Joy & Celebration

By Rose Helm
As the days get longer and the weather warms, we feel the simultaneous push and pull of one year coming to a close and the next year on the horizon. The result is an atmosphere of joy and celebration all around.

The joy on campus has been palpable in the weeks back from Spring Break, especially as the year-end events start to kick into high gear. In this past week alone, our Upper School students have participated in 17 games (baseball, soccer, and volleyball); we have had 4 parent coffees and our final Collage meeting of the school year; our new families gathered at the Family of New Students Cocktail Party and the New Family Ice Cream Social; and we have had beloved grade-level traditions like Biography Day and the Grade 1 Half Over.
At each of these events, I am reminded why I love working in an elementary school. Everything feels so full of possibility. Children who we once characterized as “shy” or “reserved” are stepping up to the microphone, the plate, or whatever metaphorical platform we imagine when we see them taking risks we didn’t think possible just six months ago. For us adults, who may have felt disconnected to the community after so many years of isolation due to COVID, are finally finding that the small ways in which we connect—on the sidelines at the game or at a parent coffee—have enabled us to deepen our relationships with one another.

This feeling of joy and celebration is not limited to our students and families. It permeates our entire faculty and staff community as well, especially this year as we have made a concerted effort to capitalize on our theme “Connect For ___”. Whether it was a mini golf outing in the fall, a highly competitive game night in the winter, or a spring book exchange, we have found ways to connect as colleagues. This Sunday we kick off a series of activities in honor of Teacher Appreciation week (May 8-12 this year) when 50 JTD faculty/staff will be attending the Dodgers’ Educator Appreciation game together. As an added bonus, Tumbleweed’s very own John Davison from the Green Line is driving the bus for us to Dodgers Stadium and back!

This atmosphere of joy and celebration is sure to continue in the weeks that lie ahead, especially with the Cirque du JTD Fair, Open House, and all of the special year-end traditions for each grade level. I can’t wait to Connect For Fun together!

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The John Thomas Dye School


11414 Chalon Road
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Phone: (310) 476-2811
The John Thomas Dye School admits students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.

Located In Los Angeles, CA, John Thomas Dye is an independent school for grades K-6. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.